The present invention relates generally to annular structures formed with metal matrix and with a filament reinforcement. More particularly it relates to annular structures having a titanium base matrix and reinforced by filaments of silicon carbide and to the precise sizing of the internal dimensions of such structures to a predetermined value within very small limitations.
The preparation of titanium alloy base foils, sheets, and similar articles and of reinforced structures in which silicon carbide fibers are embedded in a titanium base alloy are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,775,547; 4,782,884; 4,786,566; 4,805,294; 4,805,833; and 4,838,337; assigned to the same assignee as the subject application. The texts of these patents are incorporated herein by reference. Preparation of composites as described in these patents is the subject of intense study inasmuch as the composites have very high strength properties in relation to their weight. One of the properties which is particularly desirable is the high tensile properties imparted to the structures by the high tensile properties of the silicon carbide fibers or filaments. The tensile properties of the structures are related to the rule of mixtures. According to this rule the proportion of the property, such as tensile property, which is attributed to the filament, as contrasted with the matrix, is determined by the volume percent of the filament present in the structure and by the tensile strength of the filament itself. Similarly, the proportion of the same tensile property which is attributed to the matrix is determined by the volume percent of the matrix present in the structure and the tensile strength of the matrix itself.
Prior to the development of the processes described in the above-referenced patents, such structures were prepared by sandwiching the reinforcing filaments between foils of titanium base alloy and pressing the stacks of alternate layers of alloy and reinforcing filament until a composite structure was formed. However, that prior art practice was found to be less than satisfactory when attempts were made to form ring structures in which the filament was an internal reinforcement for the entire ring.
The structures taught in the above-referenced patents and the methods by which they are formed, greatly improved over the earlier practice of forming sandwiches of matrix and reinforcing filament by compression.
Later it was found that while the structures prepared as described in the above-referenced patents have properties which are a great improvement over earlier structures, the attainment of the potentially very high ultimate tensile strength of these structures did not measure up to the values theoretically possible. The testing of composites formed according to the methods taught in the above patents has demonstrated that although modulus values are generally in good agreement with the rule of mixtures predictions, the ultimate tensile strength is usually much lower than predicted by the underlying properties of the individual ingredients to the composite A number of applications have been filed which are directed toward overcoming the problem of lower than expected tensile properties and a number of these applications are copending. These include applications Ser. No. 445,203, filed Dec. 4, 1989; Ser. No. 459,894, filed Jan. 2, 1990; and Ser. Nos. 455,041 & 455,048, both filed Dec. 22, 1989. The texts of these applications are incorporated herein by reference.
One of the structures which has been found to be particularly desirable in the use of the technology of these reference patents is an annular article having a metal matrix and having silicon carbide filament reinforcement extending many times around the entire ring. Such ring structures have very high tensile properties relative to their weight particularly when compared to structures made entirely of metal. However, it has been found difficult, particularly because of the very high temperatures which must be used in forming such articles to produce a ring structure which is dimensionally very precise in its internal dimensions. Such structures must be precise in their internal dimensions in order for the structures to be used most effectively in end use applications inasmuch as the structures are often used as part of a more complex structure and for this purpose are fitted over one or a number of elements in a circular form in order to serve as a reinforcing ring.
One of the structures which is formed has the reinforcing filament wound many times and in many layers around the circumference is a reinforced ring structure. The reinforced ring can be used for example as a reinforcing ring for the compressor blades of a compressor disk of a jet engine. In order to serve to hold the blades in a compressor stage of a jet engine a large number of layers of reinforcing filaments are required. It has been found that it is very difficult to continue to add more and more layers of filament reinforcement to a ring structure because of differences thermal expansion coefficient and other factors. One way in which this problem has been solved is by forming a series of concentric rings which are then assembled together to provide a reinforced ring structure having more than 100 layers of reinforcement. Such ring structures are of quite large diameter of the order of a foot or several feet and must nevertheless be nested together within very close tolerances of only a few thousands of an inch. Obviously when such structures are out of tolerance dimensionally, it is very difficult to accomplish such an assembly of several concentric rings into a single assembled ring structure.